The Martin Art Gallery opens the spring semester with Girl Band, a group show by mature, contemporary painters whose work is simply described by guest curator Stephanie Buhmann— “Abstraction rooted in color and line.”

Caitlin DiMartino, Class of 2014, recently mined the depths of the College’s Florence Foerderer Tonner Collection to select 23 prints and one book made by artists whose work spans the pre-and post-Reformation period in Europe.

Expectedly, Surround is about sound and listening. Gallery visitors who are used to the immediacy of vision will be rewarded if they are willing to spend time listening. Projected video imagery is included as a means to increase visitors’aural experience. Included in the show are Running, inspired by the individual cadence of joggers in Central Park Reservoir in New York City and Rondine, made from recording swallows swooping and diving in an Italian piazza. Other works included are: Dolmen, Birds in Bamboo, Games, Harmonizer: Friends Meetinghouses, and New York Glyptic.

Historically, Japanese print-making embodies a revered and impressive tradition that evokes mental images of iconic prints by 19th-century masters, Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige. Their use of diagonal composition, and exacting craftsmanship inspired and profoundly influenced European painters and print-makers of that era and became forever embedded in Western art production, study, and appreciation.

Turngren’s mixed-media Patterned Lineage series is process oriented and investigates personal and social gender constructs. Her work develops via stream-of-consciousness and chance—experimentations that then lead to alternate avenues of investigation.

Standing Wave is a kinetic sound installation that forms deeply layered and visceral patterns of sound and physical motion. In it, speakers are held aloft by a set of tall, flexible, motorized poles that arc and sway.

Paper Architecture features the disparate, yet cohesive, work of five visiting artists— Sarah Kate Burgess, Andrée-Anne Dupuis-Bourret, Colette Fu, Jacque Liu, and Lee Emma Running—who collaborated with guest curator Amze Emmons in his search for artists who are working at the intersection of two distinct visual media, drawing and sculpture.

Beautiful People, curated by Muhlenberg art history professor Dr. Margo Thompson, explores how three very different artists—Andy Warhol, Muhsana Ali and Josh Lehrer— respond to the notion of beauty in photographic portraiture.

The Gallery proudly presents Comings & Goings a survey that covers a period of about 30-years of Tuttle’s artistic output. Visitors will have an opportunity to see the artist’s work come together in a formal exhibition for the first, and possibly, only time. It chronicles his journey from decorative, to reductive formal, to subject-narrative driven work.

This spring, the Martin Art Gallery proudly presents Along the Eastern Road: The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido a comprehensive exhibition that features 55 color wood-block prints by master Japanese printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858).

Faculty at Work
January 18 – February 25, 2012

The Martin Art Gallery proudly presents Faculty at Work a showcase of the diverse technical skills, creativity and talent of eleven artists who comprise the department of studio art at Muhlenberg College

The exhibition features Douglas Bucci’s and Ryan Killeen’s work in lighting design; Rebecca Schlauch’s and Jackie Walsh’s work in costume design and Andy Zepp’s work in scenic, lighting and sound design.

In The Fluidity of Gender artist-activist Linda Stein explores gender roles and stereotypes. Using sculpture and video she reacts to notions about empowerment, sexism — past and present — and the heroic female form.

Andy in the Valley: Warhol Polaroids and Black-and-White Photographs from Three Collections, is a collaborative exhibition drawing together recently acquired pieces from the collections of Muhlenberg College, Lafayette College and Lehigh University.

In his most recent body of work, Peralta reveals essential attributes of his artistic personality and draws from the deep traditions of both surrealism and portraiture. Such juxtapositions are at the core of contemporary art.

An inaugural exhibition of costume, lighting and set design by senior theatre design majors: Angela Palaggi, Chris Szczerbienski and Jason Turner will be on view in the Galleria Lobby of the Baker Center for the Arts at Muhlenberg College.

Frank’s suite of nine, 6’ x 8’ gold-illuminated paintings on linen are her visual tribute to locations around the world — Baghdad, Beijing, Hiroshima, Jerusalem, Kabul, Lhasa, Monrovia, New York and Sarajevo.

New York architect and photographer Christopher Payne has, over a period of nearly six years, richly documented the once grand and imposing public architecture of state mental hospitals throughout the United States, visiting a total of 70 institutions in 30 states.

4 x 4: A Printeresting Curatorial Project
Nov. 17 – Dec. 17, 2010

Innovative contemporary print making by east-coast artists is the focus of 4 x 4. Artists Gary Kachadourian, Rob Swainston, Eva Wylie and art collective Space 1026 are working well outside the box of traditional and historical printmaking. .

Horizons: Steinunn Thorarinsdottir
Oct. 6 – Nov. 6, 2010

Horizons, (2005 – 2007) is an installation of 12 life-size sculptures by Icelandic artist, Steinunn Thorarinsdottir. By sheer number the group, at first glance, suggests a feeling of community. More careful inspection soon reveals strong elements of contemplation, melancholy, and isolation—the decidedly more quiet and somber aspects of the human experience.

In Exchange for Gold features photographs by Muhlenberg College professor and art department chair Joseph E.B. Elliott. This body of work was produced in collaboration with fellow professor Dr. Richard Niesenbaum, department chair of science and director of the College’s Sustainability Studies Program.

The Martin Art Gallery in theBaker Center for the Arts at Muhlenberg College hosts the Lehigh Art Alliance 75th Anniversary Exhibition, June 8 through July 30, 2010. The exhibition will feature sculpture, painting and other 2-dimensional media, except photography.

2009 Senior Art Seminar Exhibition
May 5 – May 22, 2010

This annual exhibition features painting, photography, sculpture, and drawing by students who have successfully completed two semesters of the senior art seminar.

Annea Lockwood: Sounds of the Danube
March 22 – April 17, 2010

Lockwood, a native of New Zealand, teaches at Vassar and is known for her explorations of natural acoustic sounds. Curator: professor Scott Sherk, studio art.

A young Philadelphia artist’s intense and intimate use of line. Student curator: Ariel Fogel (2011)

Making a Mark: The Etching Revival
January 20 – February 20, 2010

Three dozen etchings from the College’s Florence Foerderer Tonner Collection highlight both European and American contributions to the 19th and 20th century renaissance of the medium. Curator: Kathryn Burke with booklet research by Mairin Breault (’10) and Alane Gianetti (’10).

Nearly four dozen provocative portraits from three of Ross’ series: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Gulf War, and Protest the War and several monographs of her work are featured. Ross, a well-respected photographer both in the U.S. and abroad, works with a large-format camera and prints using gold-toned gelatin silver.

Professor of art, Raymond Barnes, explores 3-dimensional industrial form and context in his installation of stainless-steel industrial screws. The screws vary in length from 3’ to 10’ but are similar in circumference—5” – 6”. Barnes has been working on linear and grid installations for many years.

Pennsylvania Hands
June 5 – July 26, 2009

Photographs by alumna Sally Wiener Grotta that celebrate Pennsylvanians who keep traditional arts and crafts that reflect our state’s diverse culture alive. Grotta was awarded a Lehigh Area PPA grant for this project.

The Art of MagicMarch 11 – April 4, 2009

Curator: Alumna Candace Dobro
The exhibition is part of the College’s 10th anniversary celebration of the Theory and Art of Magic.

…Calling them dimensional drawings, Michael began to experiment with a range of formulations, in particular grids, his next series, proceeding in an intuitive but also systematic way, incorporating repetition, difference and an element of chance.

Floating Architecture and Constant Centers: Some Projections
August 27 – September 27, 2008

Floating Architecture is guest curator Bartholomew Ryan’s intriguing exploration of identity and the relationship of identity to place. In developing the theme, he chose to work with young, international video artists whose imagery is as varied as their individual backgrounds.

Paul McEwan: Everyday Abstractions
July 9 - September 6

Paul is the Associate Director of Film Studies for the College. His medium is digital color photography.

Facing East/Facing West: Asia without Boundaries

Guest Curators: Zoë Charlton and Amze Emmons
This group exhibition is presented in conjunction with the 1908 Center for Ethics theme of globalization and features paintings, prints, mixed media and sculpture created by women artists currently working in the U.S. and Asia.

Wings of Fire: The Illuminated Books of William Blake

Illuminated books by William Blake (English, 1757 – 1827) painter, engraver, religious visionary, and poet are the focus of this exhibition curated by Dr. Grant Scott and his Senior Seminar students. Included are works from the College’s Florence Foerderer Tonner Print Collection and private collectors. Blake scholar Joseph Viscomi, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will give a lecture in conjunction with this exhibition, Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 p.m. in Recital Hall, Baker Center for the Arts.

Senior Exhibition: Class of 1908

This annual exhibition features the work of senior art majors. Their work in painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and photography is the result of their year-long participation in the Senior Art Seminar.

Gerald Rowan: Houses of the Spirit

During a rich and productive career, Gerald Rowan has acquired both breadth and depth as an artist and arts educator. Beyond frequently exhibiting his work in solo and group shows, he has written numerous articles on ceramics for Ceramic Monthly, conducted glaze workshops throughout the region, and performed consulting for organizations as varied as Binney & Smith/Crayola in Easton, PA and the Small Business Administration in Kingston, Jamaica. He has also participated in a wide variety of artist-in-residence programs and been seated on many area arts advisory boards.

The body of Rowan’s current work—drawings, adobe vessels, and sculpture/spirit houses— is framed within the vocabulary of geometric abstraction. He chooses to avoid narrative content to instead explore and express in intuitive and reflective ways the internal, rather than the external, world. Beyond using the language of geometric abstraction, he is intensely concerned with the visual elements of space and color.

The Jews of LuthertownThis traveling exhibit of photos and artifacts from Jewish life in the city of Wittenberg, Germany in the 1930s and ‘40s is sponsored by the Institute for Jewish and Christian Understanding.

Lehigh Art Alliance 71st Annual Spring Juried ExhibitionThe Lehigh Art Alliance was founded in 1935 by Professor Garth Howland of Lehigh University. For more than 70 years the Alliance's annual fall and spring juried exhibitions have given artists from the region an opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional manner.

1906 Senior Art ExhibitionThis annual exhibition features the work of senior art majors. Their work in painting, drawing, sculpture, digital video, and photography is the result of their year-long participation in the Senior Art Seminar.

Robert Walch: Natural MosaicsWalch shares his creative process—a progression of images that represent the evolution of a visual theme, from his initial inspiration to the present.

Joseph Pennell: Surveyor of American WondersArt history professor Dr. Jadviga da Costa Nunes has curated an exhibition that highlights etchings and lithographs made by Philadelphia native Joseph Pennell (1857 -1926).

Chris Wright: New PaintingsBased in New York City, Wright is one of contemporary art's highly respected still-life painters.

Jos. A. Smith: InnerscapesProfessor of Fine Art at Pratt Institute, Jos. A. Smith will exhibit his recent work which includes watercolors, drawings and paintings.

Max Mason's baseball oeuvre: a dynamic, accessible look at America’s pastime through the eyes of a fan and a painter. His compositions are beautifully considered and feature intense contrast between light and shadow with clear, resounding color.

Seymour Lipton Sculpture: Post War America in Three Dimensions curated by Lori Verderame in cooperation with the Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA; University of Iowa Art Museum, Iowa City, IA and the Elrejem Museum, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

A Passion for Collecting: Selections from the Rothfeld Gift of Contemporary Art curated by Lori Verderame in cooperation with the office of Alumni Relations.

Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Design Exhibition in cooperation with the department of Theatre and Dance.

Displacement: Contemporary Photographs by Edward Burtynsky and Camilo Jose Vergara curated by Joseph E. B. Elliott in cooperation with the Center for Ethics.

Creative Collecting: General Trexler's Vision for the Arts curated by lori Verderame in celebration of the 150th anniversary of General Harry C. Trexler and the Trexler Trust.

The Birds of ArmeniaFor the Birds of Armenia exhibition, the Martin will host sixty beautiful and original paintings of various birds which were featured in the book of the same name published by Muhlenberg College Professor of Ornithology, Dr. Dan Klem. The paintings are currently on deposit at the Martin. This exhibition relates to the college's biology curriculum.

Scott Sherk & Kevin Tuttle: Drawings, Figure Studies, & Recent Work On view are Sherk and Tuttle's working drawings and clay studies which have led them to produce vastly divergent work. The exhibition gives the viewer an opportunity to see the artistic journey-- the decision making aspect, an integral part of the creative process. Both artists begin their work with careful observations of the visual world and then respond to it, interpret it, and record in very personal ways. Those initial searches give way to powerful and unexpected conclusions.

The Creative Genius of Mark Klee: The Allentown Zoo & Other Myths Through sight and sound, the exhibition honors the inventiveness, intelligence, and multi-faceted talent of Mark Klee— a man who gave much and left too soon. For nearly two decades he was best known as Mr. Mark, a beloved and integral part of Muhlenberg’s radio station WMUH FM91.7 and the edgier side of the Lehigh Valley arts scene. His intriguing body of work includes spoken word, illustration and design, theater, and music performance. Mark’s hand-written radio scripts, recordings of his programs for WMUH, and visual art made in a variety of media are all highlighted in the Martin Art Gallery.

healing: a personal journeyArtist/educator Carolyn Manosevitz shares with viewers her intimate and personal post-holocaust odyssey. As a child of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, her 2- and 3-dimensional works are inspired by themes of memory and reconciliation. She works in a modest scale using a variety of media, often creating layers with papers and fabrics. Carolyn has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and Canada, teaches art at Colorado Mountain College, and has lectured at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the Iliff School of Theology in Denver and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. The exhibition, in the Galleria area of the Baker Center for the Arts, is presented in collaboration with the College’s Institute for Jewish and Christian Understanding.

Four FreedomsIn conjunction with the Center for Ethics fall programs, guest curator R.L. Tillman explores President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s four freedoms as he expressed them in his 1941 address to Congress—freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. During World War II, these abstract ideals were illustrated by Norman Rockwell and became cultural icons of that era. Now more than 60 years after Rockwell, Tillman offers another look at these values through the work of nearly a dozen 21st-century artists.

Larry Fink: Somewhere There’s MusicLarry Fink shares with viewers his personal photographic overview of American musicians. During the past 50 years, he’s captured compelling images of musicians—jazz, street, famous and not-so-famous—using electronic flash and high contrast printing, a well-trained eye, and honed instincts. The results are pictures rich in social context and texture that reflect the quintessential photographic moment, fleeting and personal, but undeniably public.

Amze Emmons: Recent Work
Emmons, assistant professor of printmaking at Muhlenberg, combines traditional printmaking and perspective drawing with flat, colorful painting to depict modern spaces in thoughtful and unexpected ways. He points out that we live in a world of increasing flux and migration with “more than 30 million people currently displaced by strife alone”.

Emmons researches the “media-scape” daily for images and phrases that may lead to deeper narratives and combines them with inspiration from a variety of additional sources including old signs, architectural illustrations, graffiti, information graphics, and news footage. He then uses time-honored studio techniques to make images with a sense of minimal realism that go one step further and evocatively record the global transience and dislocation of our time.

The PA Diversity Network (PDN) Photo Project100 Same-sex Couples: Facing InequalityPDN coordinator and photographer, Liz Bradbury, began the project in February 1906. Since then Bradbury, who holds both undergraduate and graduate fine arts degrees, has taken more than 100 photos of local same-sex couples to illustrate to the greater Lehigh Valley community that many committed long-term, same-sex couples are living here. She states, " … viewers have recognized people they know and learned how these friends, neighbors, and colleagues have to endure the lack of civil rights that the rest of the population takes for granted." The exhibition is held in collaboration with the College’s Gay Straight Alliance.

Emergent Behavior
Guest curated by Amze Emmons, this group exhibition focuses on installation and three-dimensional art being made outside the boundaries of traditional production methods and media. All eight women—Tova Carlin, Diane Carr, Cece Cole, Leslier Mutchler, Tracey Snelling, Christine Buckton Tillman, Regan Wheat and Wendy White—are making art in various locations throughout the country. They are, however, unified in using commonly found materials and infusing their work with a sense of mystery and unexpectedness that is thoughtful and often playful.

Senior Exhibition: Class of 1907
This annual exhibition showcases the work of senior art majors. Their work in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and mixed media is the result of their year-long participation in the Senior Art Seminar.

Heft, Fletcher, Haas: Recent WorkDrawings by Carol Heft and Leslie J. Fletcher, and silver gelatin prints by David Haas give viewers an opportunity to explore provocative similarities as well as obvious differences in the artists' use of media, color, composition, and subject. All three artists teach studio classes at Muhlenberg College and other colleges and universities in the area.

The Pathos of EcstasyGuest curator Ara Osterweil, Assistant Professor of Muhlenberg College's Art & Film Studies, brings together a quartet of New York artists, painters-Noah, Landfield, Lydia Mullin, and Elizabeth Leggett- and sculptor David Baumflek. Working independently, they each use formal issues such as media, color, scale, and composition, to create art that expresses the ineffable emotions of pathos and ecstasy.

Word, Mind, City: The Universal ResonanceThis exhibition features uniquely layered compositions by artist and Lafayette College faculty member Ed Kerns and painter/architect Elizabeth Chapman. They use topography, urbanism, and linguistic symbols as visual metaphors to study and explore the realm of neuroscience in exciting and unexpected ways.
For more details visit: www.lafayette.edu/~kernse

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